Shari Wickline EDT 715 July 11, 2011 Research Scenario

The assignment was to create a scenario that requires the applications of the various search strategy skills and resources used during the course. The following is a description of the school in which the scenario takes place, the teacher with whom assistance is given and the steps completed to gather the resources. The school has a student population of 800, 200 of which will be enrolled in a social studies class focusing on a unit on government. The class will be taught by a recent graduate and newly licensed teacher. The students are in tenth grade and will be focusing on the branches of government and how these branches develop and pass laws. Although there is a unit in the class textbook that covers this topic, it is weak and does not allow that students to develop a thorough understanding of the process. The teacher this year also would like to implement the use of outside resources and utilize technology. The scenario for the assignment is to gather and build a reference list for the teacher. Being as this is her first year she is unsure about the curriculum and the resources the school has readily available. During an introduction meeting I had with the teacher she expressed her concerns about the unit of study. She feels weak in this content area and knows how important focusing on the branches of government and laws is to the curriculum. I explained how I would happily assist her by gathering print and non-print resources she can use to develop a stronger understanding in this subject area, as well as to enhance her instruction.

I will be using the Greene County Public Library catalog to compile a list of print resources I can make available to the teacher. I am using this catalog because I do not currently have access to particular schools resources. I went to the GCPL home page and chose to complete an advanced search of the catalog for books related to the branches of government and the making of laws. I typed in branches AND government, then limited the search to books in English. I reviewed the results for books that would provide the information requested. I chose the following titles: Our American Government: A Primer on the Operation of Three Branches and Government, The National Government, How Congress Works, and The Everything United States Constitution Book: An Easy-to-Understand Explanation of the Foundation of America. I complete another advanced search using the words making laws AND united states, limited to books in English. I reviewed the results and added the title, Making Laws, and Constitution of the United States, to the list of books. Once I compiled a list of books I began gathering resources form subscription databases. I used the OhioLINK link on the Wright State University Library website. I chose to complete a database search by subject, chose Law and Legislation and then the Academic Search Complete database. I completed an advanced search typing branches of government AND social studies, I limited the search by full-text and English. I reviewed the results list and chose the article, Executive-Legislative Relations: Where You Sit Really Does Matter. I then completed a search of all of the EBSCO databases. I chose the advanced search and typed in United States AND legislative AND executive AND judicial, limiting to full-text, scholarly reviewed, PDF full-text between 2005 and 2011. I chose the following article from the Master FILE Premier database: Judicial Appointments: Checks and Balance in Practice. The final database searching was done using Infohios EBSCO Student Research Center for grades 9-12. I completed an advanced

search by typing branches of government and limiting the search to full-text, Lexile 9-12 and PDF. I reviewed the results and chose the articles: Follow the Leaders, and Women Move Up. While on Infohio I completed a search on the Worldbook Advanced database. I chose advanced search and typed branches of government, limiting to encyclopedia articles that have the print full article feature. I reviewed the list and chose the article, Congress of the United States. The last article was found through the Library of Congress database by completing a search for laws under the teacher resources. I chose the article, A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: United States Congressional Documents and Debates. The teacher had commented on wanting to utilize technology with students, so I found two websites that offer detailed information on the branches of government and laws. The information is presented in a fun and interactive way that will provide visual enhancements, as well as information, to the unit. The websites I listed are GPOAccess U.S. Government Printing Office and USA.gov. The GPOAccess site provides information about the branches of government. There is also a feature titled Bens Guide to Government which is categorized by grade level and offers resources and information for teachers. There are documents on how laws are made, games, activities, curriculum links and instructions on how to utilize the site. The USA.gov site can be explored by topics; I chose the public safety and law link and then courts and legislatures. The site provides resources on the court system relating to the development of laws and legislature. There is also a law and regulations link that gives information on various areas of the Bill of Rights. The last resources I added to the list were a video and illustration related to the branches of government. I search the Digital Video Collection on Infohio by typing in branches of government. I reviewed the results and chose the video, The Founding of Our Federal

Government. The video studies the history of the United States government and explains the three branches and how they currently operate. The video is intended for younger students but the content is instructional and it will make a great visual enhancement to the teachers lesson. I found an illustration that nicely displays the branches of government and how they work together. The image was found on the kids.gov website under hot topics branches of government. The overall research process was not as difficult as I had anticipated. The skills I have learned while taking this course really assisted me with completing this assignment. I really utilized the advanced search features on the databases and used limiters when they were available. I did not have to scan through hundreds of articles while at each database, which in the past would have been the case. I would have liked to have had a better database or resource for visuals on the branches of government. I am sure that there are better sources available, but I did not want to use Google at all while completing the assignment. The information I gathered could easily be used to provide quality information for students to complete research projects at the end of the unit. I purposely used information from a variety of sources so that the information would be adaptable to any students learning level. I would give the teacher time to review the resources listed on the bibliography and inquire if there are any questions or concerns about the materials. I would also let her know that if any student would like other information I can provide other books and websites that maybe of interest. When giving the teacher the following bibliography I would provide notes about the steps needed to find the listed resources. This information could also be used to allow students to conduct research on their own during or after the unit.

Bibliography Books: (1985). Our American government: A primer on the operation of three branches and government: 150 questions and answers. Washington, D.C.: WANT Publishing. Call # - 353 Ou (2008). How congress works. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. Call # - R 328.73 Ho De Capua, S. (2004). Making laws. New York: Childrens Press. Call # - J 328.73 De Feinberg, B.S. (1993). The national government. New York: F. Watts. Call # - J 320.973 Fe Judson, K. (1996). Constitution of the United States. Springfield, N.J.: Englow Publishers. Call # - J 342.73 Ju Kozak, E.M. (2011). The everything United States constitution book: an easy-to-understand explanation of the foundation of America. Avon, Mass.: Adams Media. Call # - 342.73 Ko Database Articles: Bernick, E.M. & Bernick, L.B. (2008). Executive-legislative relations: Where you sit really matters. Social Science Quarterly: Blackwell Publishing Limited. 89(4), p.969-986. Academic Search Complete Database Brand, R. (2010). Judicial appointments: Checks and balance in practice. Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy. 33(1), p.47-52. Master FILE Premier Database Nichols, J. (2002). Women move up. Nation. 275(11), p. 24. EBSCO 9-12 Wolpin, B. (2006). Follow the leaders. American City and County. 121(6), p. 6. EBSCO 9-12 A country of lawmaking for a new nation: United States congressional documents and debates 1774-1873. Library of Congress. Websites: GPOAccess U.S. Government Printing Office www.gpoaccess.gov/about/index.html USA Government www.usa.gov

Video: The founding of our federal government. Mazzarella Brothers Productions. 20min. 45sec. Digital Video Collection Illustration: Government for kids. Picture of the branches of government www.kids.gov